


Reticent

by azure_and_azul



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Asexuality Spectrum, F/M, Mentions of PTSD, Mentions of alcohol, Reader is human, rouge is an instigator, vector is an investi-gator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:47:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27601612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azure_and_azul/pseuds/azure_and_azul
Summary: It all started with a cup of black coffee. Shadow becomes a regular at the cafe where you work because, like you, he appreciates the quiet. But what you notice quickly about one another is that there's far more than meets the eye, and you can't help but end up ensnared. Living on a rainy planet, you would have thought yourself accustomed to storms...Tags will be updated along the way
Relationships: Shadow the Hedgehog/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 34





	1. The Meeting

Another dreary evening. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

You shoved through the glass doors, the twinkling of the entry bell lost to the thunder set loose behind you. It was hurricane season on Ocia, and the planet was already well known across the galaxy for its sporadic spring showers, the very might of which was known to crumble old trees, and then just as quickly sprout flowers in its wake. Deep in the throes of autumn there was a newfound chaos brewing in the sky, and you were ringing it from your hair and shoes as you casually disarmed your raincoat and closed your umbrella, drinking in the warmth of the cafe.

“You were almost late this time,” you could hear your colleague say from behind the register with an air of fake smugness. She was looking over her shoulder, refilling a tray of blue velvet cookies with newer, gooier ones that gave way under her gloved fingertips. You folded your raincoat quickly, ignoring how rain bounced from it at the motion. You smiled at her, knowing.

“I dread the day that it actually happens,” you answered her. You quickly rushed to the wall and punched your card in, hanging your coat next to it and letting the water drip to the rug below. You kept eye contact with the older redhead before squinting. “Maybe your obsession with me will finally be satiated and I can be free at last.”

You and your colleague, Darla, had worked together for three years now. She had been there before you, and she was the first one to show you kindness. In all those hours spent together, the two of you had struck up a companionship, and within that companionship lived several inside jokes, one of them being your staggering ability to always be on time, never missing a day of work. The truth was, they were inside jokes because they weren’t terribly funny to begin with and did not deserve to be said anywhere else amongst listening ears. Your relationship with her was simple like that.

She grinned before adding, “When you get the chance, Geoffrey needs you in the kitchen. Something about making icing for the brownies. You know he can't be trusted to do these things alone.”

You made sure your apron was tied appropriately before stealing a pair of gloves by the register. As you fitted them onto your hands, you nodded in a sort of ‘yeah, yeah,’ fashion before disappearing into the aforementioned kitchen.

The day was starting out the way it always did: typical, normal, uneventful, but something about the quiet normalcy was comforting. At the very least you had your coworkers to joke with, regulars to greet, and spongy cake to eat. Café Icarus had been standing since well before you were born and was best known for its desserts, a lot of which you helped assemble now. The owner was friendly, hired you out of your last job after he caught a manager mistreating you for something that wasn’t your fault. The fact that you only really worked here because someone had taken pity on you used to eat at your pride, but you had since suppressed those feelings. Working here gave you everything you needed and more. The pay to be a server wasn’t terribly spectacular, but it was livable. Plus the jazz music they played here was nice.

Weather like the kind on this night was an obstacle quickly surpassed by Ocia’s people, as they filed into the café at a semi-regular rate no different than the usual. It kept you busy, it kept you talking, distracted from anything deeper than the surface. It was the same familiar faces for the most part, as strangers here were far and few between.

But then there was the jingle of the bell again, and yes, there was a familiar face, but not because he had ever been a visitor to the café before.

The energy of the gigantic room shifted within a single moment. There was a split second of silence, and then, like scattered children, the noise returned with great crescendo.

“Is that Sonic?!” “Yes!” “Sonic!” “Look it’s Sonic!” “Sonic the Hedgehog?” “Over there! Look!”

You turned quickly, right as you were pouring a patron another cup of coffee, and sure enough it was true. There, standing at the entry was none other than the savior of the very universe, Sonic the Hedgehog, grinning like a superstar beneath a drenched umbrella. Though small for his size, he certainly had a presence about him. Your jaw dropped and you almost let the pitcher slip from your hand. Sonic was certainly a figure that you knew well in the same disconnected way as everyone else, but never had you been so close to him before. You took an impulsive step in his direction, but just as quickly you stopped. The rest of the accumulating crowd pulled back in surprise.

Sonic was not alone. He had an entire entourage of different animal friends straggling behind him, all taking turns closing their own umbrellas.

He threw up a waving hand, looking to Darla of all people.

“Hey there! Got a table for ten people?”

“T-Ten…?” she repeated back to him, dumbfounded, a hand shooting to her chest. It certainly was unusual to see so many non-human entities at once, and the thought of seating ten of them might have been a little flooring. Sonic paused and looked to his gang, his finger flitting as he quickly recounted. He then turned back to face her.

“My bad, it’s eleven if you include me.”

She swallowed hard before ushering him blindly toward the dining area, most definitely uncertain if there was a big enough table ready to fit all of them. Sure enough, there wasn’t, save for a booth in the corner of the restaurant meant for six. This did little to dissuade the group. You barely heard Sonic exclaim that it was perfect, and then you saw a smaller one, a bee, dragging extra chairs over with alarming speed.

You hadn’t gotten a good look at any of them, but now that they were filling the booth one at a time, you took a moment to scan through them as fast as you could. There were a few others you recognized, like Tails, Amy and Knuckles. But there were also some newer faces, like a crocodile, a pair of rabbits, one large and small, and then…

There was another hedgehog that resembled Sonic. Except, he most definitely wasn’t Sonic. His fur was stained inky black, barely illuminated beneath the old café lighting. He had red streaks decorating his body, and his quills stood upright as if shocked. Even from such a distance, you saw that his eyes were piercing red. Unlike the others, he seemed unhappy, perhaps even uncomfortable, like he was dragged there-

“Darling, my coffee ain’t gonna do no good getting cold in that pot,” the patron you were originally serving sneered playfully. You blinked, your attention snapping back to him. You mumbled an apology and poured the coffee, trying hard not to peek back at Sonic’s table through the corner of your eye.

“He’s impressive, huh?” the man asked. He was an older customer you’d seen many times, but never had he engaged you to this degree. You balked at his question, pulling the pitcher back. “Who?” It was a dumb question and sounded even dumber out loud.

“Who do ya think? Sonic’s for sure a celebrity round these parts. Honestly I’m surprised to see him in a place like this. Especially with all them other critters.”

You couldn’t help it, you caught yourself staring again, and didn’t even notice the man clearing his throat awkwardly. “Not that there’s anything wrong with this café. Otherwise you wouldn’t be finding my old face in here every other day or night. But uh, ya know what I mean.”

“Yeah…believe me I do,” you said, your voice going spacey. The truth was you weren’t really looking at Sonic at all, but in fact still gazing on creepily at the mysterious black hedgehog. He was a curious sight to behold, particularly because he was sandwiched between a bat woman and the bee from before, making eye contact with nobody, not even the patrons who gathered around the table to greet Sonic and express their gratitude. The aforementioned bee also seemed to be irritating him greatly by just existing, as he stared stiffly at the table like his goal was to set it on fire. His demeanor was so different from the rest, the absurdity of it struck you even from afar. You were surprised you had never seen or heard of him before.

“I know the alligator dude’s name is Vector. I always kinda liked his look, with the chains and such,” the man said casually. “The little rabbit kid is Cream. Like, cream for your coffee, Cream. I think that’s her mother too. There’s the resemblance and all that.”

“What about the others?”

“Not a clue.”

You were absent-mindedly watching the scene when Darla appeared next to you, nearly sending you out of your skin.

“Hey, I’m pretty tied up right now, especially with all this commotion. Why don’t you go take their orders.”

“Who me?” you asked in stricken disbelief. Not because she would ask you to do something like that, but rather, it meant you were about to engage with the group you had been rudely gawking at before. It almost felt like a trick. Another one of the many inside jokes.

“Well who else, silly? They’re technically in your section anyway. Just go get some drinks jotted down and I’ll fire up fresh food. I wonder if they like paninis…”

And just like that she was gone, having left little presence to suggest she’d been there at all, save for the notepad and pen now plastered in your hand. How did that even get there? Were you really paying that little of attention that you didn’t notice her handing them to you?

“I won’t keep you,” the man said simply, swirling some almond cream into his coffee. “Go knock this one out of the park.”

It was such an odd way of motivating you that it somehow made everything worse. With a clench of the jaw, you trudged forward, through the murmuring customers, the clanking silverware, that terribly smooth jazz overhead, and your anxiety almost peaked when they finally turned and noticed your advancing form.

_Keep it cool, keep it cool. Why are you so nervous? Just treat them like normal people, that’s all there is to it._

“Good evening and welcome to Café Icarus! Can I get you guys started with some drinks?”

You very quietly devoured a gulp of oxygen through your nose. Perhaps you may have said the line a bit too fast. Nonetheless your eyes started from the left, with Knuckles.

“Lemon-lime soda for me,” he looked at Tails, who followed with, “Oh me? I’d like just a glass of water.” The older rabbit woman then looked to you with gentleness. “I’ll have an iced tea. Cream? You want strawberry milk, right?” The small rabbit, with large sparkling brown eyes, looked to you for affirmation. “If you have it can I please get that?”

You smiled with a nod, scribbling quickly before averting your focus to Amy, who seemed to be whispering in Sonic’s ear before realizing it was her turn. “Oh, I’d like hot cocoa please! I think this stormy weather makes warm drinks taste like heaven.”

You were barely done writing her order when Sonic spoke up, and your nervousness returned in one big oceanic wave.

“I’ll take a cola if you don’t mind!”

You released a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding. The sultry voice of the bat woman hit your ears like intrusive molasses next.

“Hi hun, can I can a cinnamon latte? Soy milk. And see if the boys in the back can shape the cream into a heart for me.”

You laughed softly, that kind of half-laugh that’s unsure if there’s an actual joke being made or not. Knuckles made a huff of annoyance. “Pfft. If they’re modeling it after yours they better dye their milk black.” Tails elbowed him.

You didn’t even process that the dark hedgehog was next until you looked to Rouge’s left and caught him glaring up at you. It was like someone had dropped an ice cube down your spine.

“Coffee.”

Your pen touched the paper and you paused. “No cream or sugar? You just want plain coffee?”

The others were all turned to him, as if also entranced by whatever he was about to say. His posture remained rigid, his brow only twitched. “Is that alright with you?”

It was Rouge’s turn to nudge him. She said nothing, but her face made her unspoken words extremely clear. You didn’t realize you had started pressing the pen tip down into the notepad, drilling deeply, a laundry cycle of emotions tumbling through your head.

“O-Of course, yes. It’s just the taste is extremely…”

His expression was unwavering.

“…bitter.”

Still nothing from him. Your feelings almost bubbled up and foamed at the crevices, the feelings of confusion, uncertainty and maybe even fear derived from just how cold he was. It wasn’t only the looks, even his attitude was a direct antonym to the rest. His voice, like smoke, rang out foreboding and murky. Was he even a good guy? Why did they bring him? Who the hell was he? He didn't seem like your average hero.

When you went to write the word _coffee_ there was a new hole in the paper. You worked around it. Pretended it wasn't there.

“And I’ll be taking a chocolate milk! With a bendy straw!” Just like that, as if nothing had happened at all, the bee almost leapt across the table in excitement, leading to the crocodile, Vector, yanking his leg back while loudly scolding him. "You're not at home, Charmy! Act with a little decency!" He and the purple chameleon also both ordered waters, except the latter specified he’d like lemon on the side. You caught the black hedgehog grimacing at the trio before looking away.

“Okay, sounds good! I’ll be right back!”

“Thank you, nice pretty lady!” the bee called after you. He was answered by a unified “Charmy!” coming from Vector and the chameleon, and you opted to not even turn back and acknowledge that you’d heard him. The sound was disembodied by other patrons as you crossed the way to the registers. Darla was serving a cookie on a plate while handing a folded takeout bag to a couple, when she caught you and promptly pulled you to the side once her hands were empty.

“Oh my gosh! You’re doing it! You’re actually serving Sonic and his friends!”

You cringed, preparing the ice waters at the beverage station. “Don’t say it like that. It makes it freakier. I’m anxious enough as it is. And all these people making it a big deal aren't helping.”

“I know what you mean. Are they at least nice?”

“I mean-yeah, for the most part.”

Her face fell, she knew that was your roundabout way of complaining about someone. “Wait, one of them's a jackass? Really?” She almost seemed disbelieving. You pursed your lips, indecisive on whether or not to give a straight answer.

“That’s unexpected. Never took any of them for the type.”

“Well…it’s really just one of them. He’s kind of cagey. But he didn’t say anything terrible. Maybe I'm just sensitive.”

“Oh, you’re talking about the one that looks like Sonic but isn’t, aren't you?”

You guffawed at that, having moved onto the tea. Darla was also multi-tasking as she sliced cake for the next person in line.

“He looks nothing like Sonic! They’re both hedgehogs, clearly, but other than that…”

“Are you kidding? They could be brothers!”

“Distant cousins maybe but I won’t settle for more.”

You had a round tray full of drinks and Darla had long disappeared to tend to the queue. Before lifting it, you eyed the black hedgehog’s similarly black coffee, and puzzled on what to do. Your brain insisted you serve it exactly as he requested, but deep down, you knew how strong the coffee here was. Even though you had an affinity for bitter things, you always stirred in at least one packet of sugar. The roast was just so dark. Might as well drink straight battery acid.

Apprehensively, you decided to put one sugar packet on the plate the cup sat on, and only one. Unlike the sugar substitute at all the tables, this stuff was kept behind counters and only given out when directly asked for. It was pure cane sugar, higher in quality and less likely to give you cancer. Once it sat poised next to the mug with clear intent, somehow the sight made you ease up a little. It was potentially one less altercation with the hedgehog, after all. The last thing you wanted was to be the one to give him something he didn’t like and go through the process of righting what was ultimately his wrong. And sure, he may also be annoyed that you didn’t trust his judgement, presumably, but the rebuttal is simple: sugar is optional. He can just ignore it for all you care.

With another deep breath, you lifted the tray to your shoulder. The weight of it was more crushing than usual, it was like your first day all over again. When you journeyed back to the table, and all those large colorful eyes landed back on you, you cringed. _Please Y/N, don’t drop anything…_

You said the names of each drink before handing it down to each of them, including the black hedgehog. He noticed the sugar immediately, and so did the bat next to him, but neither said a word. After that, you summoned the notepad and took orders for food. It was later in the day but breakfast could be ordered from open to close. The majority of them ordered an array of combos involving pancakes, eggs, the works. Shadow didn’t order anything, to no surprise. Knuckles ordered a sandwich, which somehow earned him endless teasing from the bat. You left it at that, putting the pen behind your ear and spinning to leave them to their devices.

“What’s your name again, hun?”

You paused and turned back around. It was the bat that had asked.

“My name?” you questioned back, incredulous.

“Just in case we need something, of course.”

Oh right, duh. You should have given it to them at the beginning.

“I’m sorry, I did forget that, didn’t I? My name is Y/N, just call out if you need me.”

“Okay, Y/N. Will do. Don’t work too hard now.”

As you went to leave a second time, you couldn’t help but notice all the faint whispering that erupted behind you.

* * *

Sonic’s group chatted idly with the occasional raucous laughter well into the night. You only appeared at their table a handful of times to refill drinks (the bee must’ve gone through at least twenty glasses of chocolate milk, and was not afraid of hiding his sugar-high) and you made it a point to avoid eye contact with the black hedgehog throughout all of it. He never asked for anything, not even a second coffee as his first one gradually diminished. You decided it best not to ask, either. Whether or not he used the sugar was still anyone's guess. All you knew was at some point the packet had disappeared.

At the end of their meals, you gave them a single bill that Sonic took care of. Part of you wondered if they were celebrating something, but you thought against asking. After you took his money and returned with change, they very slowly pulled out of the booth and started to prepare for exiting. At this point it was late and the café was going to close soon. There were only a few customers left, the energy from before had long died down.

You were behind the register helping Darla clean when you looked to them and smiled, waving.

“Thank you all for coming! Hope to see you again soon!”

They took their turns saying goodbye, so you ended up focusing on each of them individually. Toward the end of the unorganized line was the bat woman, who, unlike the others, gave you a knowing smirk. You continued waving, but your expression creased with confusion.

Then, lagging behind was the dark hedgehog. You froze for a moment, a part of you almost intrusively questioning if he liked the coffee after all, but you decided against it. You tried to keep the same warm smile, and to your shock he did look your way, but said and did nothing. Before you knew it, he was gone. They all were. Your hand slowly fell.

“He really does seem mean, doesn't he?” Darla asked from behind. “I wonder how he even knows Sonic."

You watched as the various members of the group disappeared from view. It never stopped raining at any point, though the weather had indeed softened. It wasn’t long before the black of Shadow’s fur melded completely into the rest of the night, along with his umbrella, equally black. You finally registered Darla's observation.

“Really, he wasn’t all that mean. Nothing I haven't dealt with before, anyway. I think he's just not very social, and keeps to himself."

“Yeah, I know someone like that.”

You turned to Darla to find her eyeing you playfully. You chuckled at her and rolled your eyes. “Whatever, I’m gonna go clean the table off.”

“Do that, and let me know how fat the tip they left you is. Oh and be sure the chairs go back!”

You dismissed her, approaching the now empty table which had, yes, been left in complete disarray, some parts of it more than others. You dragged the chairs outward to allow easier access and slowly began collecting the plates and stacking them together. You found the tip at the end of the table, under a drained cola glass, and your eyes widened. The bills were extremely thick, it had to have been more than whatever the full ticket cost if not double that. Before you thought to grab it, you noticed next to it a piece of paper.

You grabbed it and read the writing on the front.

_Everything was great! Thank you for serving us! We will definitely be coming back!_

Must’ve been Sonic who did this, how thoughtful. However, your smile fell as you read the final words.

_P.S., Rouge says she “saw that.”_

Your brow creased. Saw what? Who was Rouge? _She?_ Was that possibly the bat from before?

You went to go put the note in your apron pocket when a voice cleared its throat behind you.

“Hey, sorry to bother you again, miss, but I think my friend left his toy here."

You spun quickly, caught off guard. It was the purple chameleon who’d been sitting next to Vector and…you suppose Charmy was his name. The one who called you a nice pretty lady, and then got drunk with power on chocolate milk. The chameleon, even after only being outside a short amount of time, had already begun to show signs of dampness.

“Oh! Uh…” you looked back at the seats and sure enough, there was a tiny stuffed animal that looked like a pink alien crammed between the cushions.

“Here,” he said, “Let me-“

“No that’s okay! I got it.”

You reached into the booth and retrieved the toy, handing it to him. It was the least you could do after the tip they left.

“Thanks. You have a good night.”

You returned the gesture as he walked away. But before getting far, he stopped and turned back to you.

“We’ll be staying on Ocia for a while, by the way. So good luck to you. Shadow can be a bit prickly.”

Your head tilted. “Shadow…?”

“The hedgehog. The one with the coffee?”

Oh. _Oh._

“He’ll probably be coming back alone in the near future. Says the place has nice ambience. Can't exactly argue that.”

Your jaw went slack.

“So yeah, like I said. Good luck to you.”


	2. The First Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's worth putting out there that this whole story was inspired by the song "About Her" by Avixn. Even though I headcanon Shadow's voice as the one done by Jason Griffith, the sound bytes in the song are from a character in Samurai Champloo played by Kirk Thornton, who is Shadow's current VA. Just a lil funny fact. Okay enjoy now!

Sleep did not come easy that night.

Every time you flipped over and pretended it was any other normal attempt at rest, a vision of the hedgehog would shock you awake and leave you staring wild-eyed, blankly into the darkness. You had lost count of the number of times your body stilled, on the precipice of a dream, when those words, like a bolt of lightning, flashed through your mind before clambering away.

_Is that alright with you?_

Shadow...

To suggest it was strange, tending to another hedgehog like Sonic who was in fact nothing like Sonic at all, was an understatement to say the least. You would see him again, wouldn't you? It seemed you would. If Sonic's chameleon friend was to be believed, you would indeed be seeing him a lot. The thought was interesting, yet unnerving all the same. In your best version of reality, you would never have to interact with him ever again and avoid the potential awkwardness, but just his presence alone was enough to shake that beloved normal you knew so well. There was no way you could just ignore him, and likewise, he probably would not be ignoring you either, since he was somewhat familiar with you. Either you would spend each of your workdays tiptoeing through his vicinity, or personally tending to his coffee. Neither was an ideal scenario.

_Why did it have to be me? Why couldn't it have rained just a little bit harder, and I could've stayed home and avoided all of it? Why couldn't they have picked a different café? Why did Darla entrust all that hoopla to **me?**_

Maybe it wasn't true. Maybe the chameleon was wrong. Maybe Shadow was just saying things like that to the group as a way of keeping peace when he never really intended to return. You wondered back to the note, how "Rouge" had called attention to your offering of cane sugar to Shadow. You wondered if they teased him, wondered if it made him angry.

What if he was coming back to make your life hell? Since you had maybe done the same by accident, through carelessness? If your brief interaction with him had been during a neutral state, what would dealing with a pissed off version of him entail?

These intrusive thoughts continued well into the early hours of the next morning. If the memories of your dreams held better clarity, you would've sworn you actually dreamt about meeting the hedgehog all over again and had been in between those muted actions when your alarm burst to life. You groggily shut it off and went about your routine, the same paranoia from before throbbing in your cerebrum, the endless scenarios of Shadow confronting you in fury, all mutating and melting together in ugly colors.

You got ready for work in the late afternoon, your hands shaking around the umbrella as you gripped the handle close to your chest and ventured into the outside world. Though it had yet to rain, giant clouds blanketed the sky and tinted everything an icy blue. You swatted a mosquito as it flitted past your ear, feeling incredibly on edge. The walk to the café was not nearly long enough. Your heart pounded the entire way, and before you knew it you were at the front door and your guts were knotting to a point of inducing nausea.

A more reasonable side of you insisted that you were worried over nothing, that Shadow would in fact not be there and all this anxiety was a waste of time. You assured yourself this as you entered the café, hanging your umbrella, your coat, punching in, your labored breaths finally becoming calm as the familiar ambience of the large room flourished around you.

Darla appeared next to you, whispering.

"He's here again."

You could've sworn you went cross-eyed when you turned to gawk at her.

"Excuse me?"

"That black hedgehog. The really moody one. He's been here for like an hour."

When you turned toward the dining area, you spotted him right away, and your entire frame went rigid.

Sure enough, Shadow was alone, seated next to a window, a book propped in front of him on the table as he idly turned a page. His expression wore the same permanent aggravation despite the fact that there was nobody around visibly bothering him. Great. So he just was like that all the time? You felt your palms grow sticky as your movements became cartoonishly slow. You honestly weren't sure how to react, and as equally unsure if you should confide in your friend about just how uneasy you were having him there yet again. Did she really deserve to know you basically had nightmares about him? Was that necessary information? 

Either she didn't notice your discomfort, or was merely focused on other things.

"He asked if you were coming in today. Says he would prefer if you served him again."

You balked, your face going pale. _"What?"_

"I mean, true to form he's been here all this time and hasn't ordered anything. Maybe yesterday, he didn't think you were so terrible?"

You were unmoving, staring at him with large, mystified eyes, ringing your hands together apprehensively. This was either a really good thing, or a really terrible thing. Either this meant he appreciated your gesture regarding the coffee, or he personally wanted to see to it that you suffered for making him a laughing stock among his peers. You remembered hearing how loud the group was, the phantom sound of their amusement bouncing around in your head. And there was Shadow at the center of it all, disconnected and hellishly resentful, zeroing in on you like you were his next kill.

"Well, go on. I wouldn't keep him waiting any longer," Darla insisted before heading into the kitchen.

You were left alone, your thoughts becoming louder until you were sure the whole room could hear them.

Before you could fully process what your response may be when he did confront you about your assumptive rudeness the last time, your feet began carrying you forward. You didn't stop to get a notepad, to secure your apron, to tend to the kitchen and see if help was needed elsewhere as a way of procrastinating the encounter. You headed directly to Shadow with faux courage. Once you were halfway across the room, he looked up at you, and your blood ran cold.

It was somewhat anticlimactic, given all the horrifying, internalized drama that preceded it. But now you were standing before him and the two of you were in a staring contest. There was a pregnant pause before you cleared your throat, the cheery front you had put on the day before completely dusted.

"Welcome back to Café Icarus..." you said, your voice slightly wobbly. "How...How can I-"

"Coffee."

You stopped, blinking at him. "Coffee?"

"That's what I said," he put simply before looking back to his book.

You lingered for a few seconds, dumbfounded, trying to fully take in what was happening, before you eventually nodded. "Alright, yes sir. I will be right back."

And just like that, you left him again. Your body went into autopilot as you moved behind the register and brewed a fresh cup of coffee at the station, pouring it into a mug and putting it on a small plate. Your eyes became glazed as you ventured deep back into your mental recesses. Okay, so far it didn't seem like he wanted to kill you. He hadn't changed much about his demeanor at all, in fact. Maybe that was a good sign? Maybe he wasn't going to psychologically torture you? Unless this was just some kind of sick preamble. There we are again with the annoying thoughts. Maybe you were too presumptive.

Your hand hovered over the drawer where you kept the cane sugar. Perhaps it was better to do exactly as you did before, otherwise you may risk further agitating him. Why would he return so quickly and request you again if he wanted anything to be different? Otherwise he would've taken service from Darla, or literally anyone. He wouldn't have waited for you to start your shift just to prove a point. With that affirmation, you placed the single sugar packet on the plate and carried it to him, the warmth of the drink offering a small iota of comfort in your hand.

When you returned, he regarded you silently, watching as you placed the steaming coffee down in front of him. His eyes moved from the drink to the sugar, but he remained wordless, and you acknowledged as much with inaudible relief.

Without meaning to, you stole a glance at the book he was reading. _Nemesis: a History of Ocia's World Wars_ , was presented on the front in shimmering red letters. In a moment of distraction, you smirked. It was actually one you were familiar with. Having this knowledge, that Shadow was reading a book you had read in your younger years, was weirdly exciting, and just as quickly as it had permeated, all the raucous delirium before turned to mist.

Your mouth moved of its own accord, you couldn't stop yourself in time.

"There's some real terrible stuff in there."

His eyes met yours, he seemed slightly disillusioned. "What was that?"

"The wars, I mean. The ones the book goes into. I read it when I was still in school, it was part of our history curriculum, it's actually one of the few I paid real attention to. There were a lot of ruthless things our people did to maintain the order. It was actually really fascinating to learn about it, especially once you get to the chapters about the war that went on a hundred years ago."

He was unspeaking, and since you had nothing further to add, the silence weighed heavily on both of you. Your heart sank when you realized what you had done, you had engaged with Shadow unwarranted and he was not being receptive. You smoothed your apron nervously and shot him a quick, unsteady grin, as a way of keeping the peace.

"Anyway. Let me know if you need anything else. I'll be around."

You turned to leave him when he finally spoke up.

"You're saying your people did ruthless things?"

When you looked at him, that expression of passiveness he was always wearing had not entirely gone away, but there was something else there. A low spark. A quiet inquisitiveness. It almost didn't suit the impression of him you had since molded. Nonetheless, you faced him fully again and nodded your head.

"Well yeah. I think it surprised me that that book in particular was so open about that. A lot of biographies would never want to paint Ocians as the non-peaceful type, especially on the topic of combat with other planets. But it's in there. Not sure if you've gotten to that part yet."

"I haven't read much, but I expected that would come up eventually. Humans can be evil."

You had a brief moment of clarity. That was it, maybe he just disliked humans. You couldn't fully say you blamed him.

"Yes, they can."

That caught his interest.

He placed the book down, and you noticed he was only maybe thirty pages into reading. Perhaps he had started when he arrived here today. Or it could be he was just a slow reader. Or he might've-

"Sit."

You paused. "Huh?"

"Sit," he looked to the chair across from him and back at you, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "If you know about war history, then maybe it would be easier for you to inform me, rather than me spend all this time reading from a book that's thick with nonsense and only has small bits worth any interest."

Definitely a strange request but it was certainly better than him grilling you over sugar. You surveyed the café around you, your brow knitting. It wasn't exactly busy right now, and perhaps your colleagues would be understanding if they saw who had insisted you join him at the table. Darla was certainly wary of Shadow and the others were as well. They would know that the proposition on his part was slightly cornering.

"Well, I did get a B in history. I'll do my best to be helpful, but I'm not exactly a historian. Also, I can't stay long."

"Fine."

"Okay..." You slowly took the chair and sat across from him. He bookmarked his page before closing the cover and tucking it away somewhere unseen. His fingers threaded together atop the table, he was watching you intently.

"Yesterday, you said your name was Y/N."

You nodded. "That's correct. And you're Shadow, right?"

"Right. Let me just get this out there now, and I want you to tell the truth. Do you know anything about me? Other than my name?"

The question caught you off guard. At first you weren't sure if this was a question designed to make you say something wrong. Did he expect you to know who he was? Did he believe he was just as relevant as Sonic and wanted to test the theory live, on you? You thought against lying to fluff his ego. Something deep down insisted that it would be more insulting than if you just offered honesty. "No, I'm afraid not."

His response was unexpected.

"Good."

Before you could comprehend why that ever needed asking in the first place, or why his reaction felt disconcerting, you began your first ever real conversation with Shadow the Hedgehog, and of course, it was fraught with the topic of war.

* * *

You had almost completely forgotten that you were working, or that time was a thing that moved and didn't sit still whenever it was most convenient. Shadow had a multitude of questions regarding Ocia's...well...everything. He was aware of the planet's infamous rain, and you supposed a part of him was curious to know if it realigned anything significant, if events were designed around it, or omitted because of it. He made many comparisons to Earth, along with any other planet inhabited almost entirely by humans as the primary species, but these observations were always punctuated with further questioning.

"So you've never known it not to rain here? The climate hasn't changed over time to be more or less what it is now?"

You smiled and looked down, your hands clasping together. "I suppose when I was little it might've rained a little harder, but, when you're a child everything seems much bigger than it is. It only really stops in the spring, for a couple weeks. But the sunshine doesn't stay long."

"Imagine that..." he looked off into space, then stole a glance in the direction of the book. "...all that warfare in a downpour. Must be awful fighting in wet clothes."

You guffawed. "And what do you know about clothes?" you asked teasingly, eyeing his very prominent chest fur, snowy in color. You didn't have to look under the table to know he wasn't wearing pants either. Just shoes and gloves, as you do.

"That they're uncomfortable. Because of Ocia we all had to buy coats, and I rather dislike them," he patted the bundle of fabric on the booth seat next to him for emphasis, "not that getting wet is a major problem, but it's inconvenient, coming home and leaving a path of water everywhere you go."

"You're telling me."

The rain had since started softly pattering the window next to you, and the droplets cast rather lively small shadows on the hedgehog as he sipped his coffee. He hadn't drank much during the conversation, nor had he used the sugar, but you decided not to mention either of these things. Although, when he placed the mug down and it clattered loudly, you were pulled back into reality, and suddenly you became hyper-aware of the fact that you were in an apron, on the clock, and Darla was probably wondering what the flying hell you were up to having a tea party with what she deemed to be a Sonic lookalike. So you stood, perhaps a little too quickly.

"I didn't realize how long I've been keeping you. I need to get back to work. I'll leave you to the reading, then."

Shadow appeared strangely surprised at your bidding of farewell, but the hard look in his eye softened somewhat as he looked you up and down and probably came to the same realization you did not ten seconds ago. "Yeah, I get it. No worries."

Without much left to say, you scurried off in the direction of the main area, where Darla, sure enough, was lingering by the till. You stopped halfway when you noticed how she was staring at you. Had she been watching the entire time?

You rushed behind the counter and began absently cleaning out the shelves where the many colorful desserts sat waiting to be purchased. You placed some trays behind you, the crumbs bouncing off the plastic, and you glanced at her once. "I didn't mean to stay so long over there. We just got caught up in talking, sorry." Why did you sound so nervous still?

She had an unreadable expression on her face, a concoction of mischief and bewilderment. You imagined she probably had a million things she wanted to say, but the way her lips stayed pursed, she opted to keep them to herself. At first, you agreed in silence that this was probably for the best. But ever the curious one, you couldn't hold any of your concerns at bay.

"What are you thinking about?"

She finally cracked a smile. "You befriended the goth Sonic."

A part of you relaxed a bit when she left it at that and chose to say nothing more. But then your mind began to wander...is that what you had been doing? Making friends?

"We were just talking. He's surprisingly...nice."

"I definitely don't get a 'nice' vibe when I look at him so I'll have to take your word for it." She gazed back outward toward the seating area where he remained, attention buried back into the book. _Nemesis_. In hindsight it was a weirdly aggressive reading choice for such a non-aggressive atmosphere.

"At least we aren't as packed as yesterday," you noted, and she hummed in agreement. If ever the jazz was audible over the sounds of plates and people, then it meant it was a slow day.

"It seems Shadow doesn't bring the same crowd that Sonic does."

You puzzled at that, and instantly your thoughts became tangled with inquiries regarding the hedgehog you had spent so long sitting with just now. What Darla said wasn't inaccurate, but that made it all the stranger. He was rather mysterious in an almost comical way. Even after all that talking, you never thought to ask him more about himself, to get an understanding of who he was, why so little was publicly known about him, and what his affiliation with Sonic and his friends truly was. Although, that might've been for the best. He seemed to be the reserved type, yet you couldn't help but wonder...

A few minutes coasted by when a familiar low voice shook you from your thoughts on the other side of the till.

"Money and tip is on the table, I'll be going now."

You turned quickly. At first you were shell-shocked, being face to face with Shadow so soon again. He was wearing his black raincoat, book tucked under his arm. It was the last thing you had expected and it even caused Darla to freeze on her way to the kitchen, her cookie sheet almost spilling its contents at the sudden motion. Shadow regarded her with uninterested eyes before looking to you again.

You quickly recovered and shot him the warmest grin you could muster. "Of course. I hope to see you again, Shadow."

Bold, but it wasn't a lie.

Though he did not return the smile, something in the way he spoke shifted yet again, almost unnoticeable, but you picked up on it.

"Likewise."

And as he swiveled to leave out those glass doors, into that evening fall shower, you hoped that, in turn, it was also not a lie.


End file.
